Punching mechanisms



Oct- 15, 1963 SANJIRO MAEJIMA ETAL ,1

PUNCHING MECHANISMS Filed Oct. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,107,050 PUNCHING MECHANISMS Sang' iro Maejinra, 2619 Sanno I-chome, and Yasuhiko Nishimura, 593 Araijuku S-chorne, both of Gta-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Oct. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 144,981 7 Claims. (Cl. 234-39) This invention relates to mechanisms for punching tape according to electrical pulses, and more particularly to a perforator to be actuated in response to telegraphic code signal pulses.

In conventional perforators which punch perforations in the tape web in correspondence with received signals, central perforations for feeding the tape and code holes corresponding to the given signals are punched simultaneously in the tape. Therefore, a relatively powerful driving force is required for driving the perforating mechanism thereof and the entire apparatus must be constructed rigidly, in addition to overcoming various problems such as wear.

An object of the invention is to provide a telegraphic code perforator which is capable of punching central perforations for feeding the tape and a plurality of holes which constitute signal codes in the tape separately within a fixed time in which a signal code is received, then advancing the tape to a position whereat the tape will be perforated in accordance with the next signal code. v

Another object of the invention is to provide a telegraphic code perforator which is accurate in operation but relatively simple in structure.

An embodiment according to the present invention for punching perforations corresponding to telegraphic codes is characterized by comprising a synchronous motor, electromagnetic means adapted for being excited upon receipt of a code signal, a friction clutch, means for transmitting rotation of said motor to a shaft through the friction clutch in response to the actuation of the electromagnetic means, and a plurality of cam discs secured to the shaft for rotation therewith. Each of the cam discs is provided with a notch therein. The discs are arranged on the shaft with the notches in varying angular positions. There is further provided a lever for each cam disc having a projection peripherally contacting the associated cam disc under the action of spring means. One of the levers is employed for punching feed perforation and the remaining levers are adapted for punching code-holes in the tape. There is further provided means for selectively preventing the projections of the levers for punching feed perforation by preventing entry of the projections into the notch of the associated cam disc, and means for advancing the tape stepwise to the next code punching position after each revolution of the shaft.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be best understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment referring to the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a signal code perforator according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the perforator of FIG. 1, in which the tape reel is partially cut away;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the perforating mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view for describing the operation of the perforating mechanisms;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1 taken on the line V-V; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a series of cams for illustrating various notch portions thereof.

Now, referring to the accompanying drawings, there is shown the preferred embodiment of this invention provided with a mechanism which selectively punches tape "ice to provide therein six code-holes as a unit according to the receiving signal corresponding thereto, and one tape feeding hole with each unit of code-holes. It is understood that the number of code-holes in a unit as a telegraphic code is not limited to six, but a unit may consist of any suitable number of holes more or less than six.

The puncher of the invention is provided with a synchronous motor 1, the driving shaft 2 of the motor '1 being operatively connected to a rotary shaft 4 of the perforating mechanisms through a friction clutch 3. Per forator tape 5 is fed from a reel 6 through a suitable guide 7 and through a tape station 3.

When a start signal is transmitted to the perforator, means locking the rotary shaft 4 of the perforating mechanism is freed by actuation of an armature plate 24 subsequent to energization of an electromagnet M so that the rotary shaft 4 may be rotated by the driving shaft 2 of the synchronous motor 1. The locking means may be of any suitable conventional type and since the design of such means is nonessential to this invention, the description thereof is omitted.

The clutch 3 is actuated upon initial energization of the electr0-rnagnet M and is operative throughout the entire sequence of subsequently received signals. The same is true for the locking means which has not been illustrated in the drawing. Accordingly, the shaft 4 will be driven through a complete rotation regardless of the possible subsequentv interruptions in the excitation of the electromagnet M. This enables complete rotation of the shaft 4 during the receipt of signals for each code unit corresponding to a single rotation of the shaft. The actuation of the friction clutch is conventional and is not illustrated for purposes of simplicity.

According to the illustrated embodiment, seven earn discs are fixedly secured to the rotary shaft 4 so as to be rotatable therewith. The central cam disc is a feed perforation cam disc 9, the other discs on both sides of the feed perforation cam disc 9 being code-hole selecting cam discs 1tl-1, 10-2, 16-3, 104, 105 and 10-6. Notches 12 and 11-'1, '11--2, 113, 114, 11-5 and 116 are respectively provided in the periphery of cam discs 9 and 10 as shown in FIG. 6 in varying angular position with respect to the center of the rotary shaft 4.

An additional feed perforation cam disc 13 is also mounted on the rotary shaft 4 to rotate therewith. The outer contour of the feed perforation cam disc 13 is eccentric with a step 14 formed therein.

A feed perforation lever 15 is positioned over the feed perforation cam disc 9 and code-hole selecting levers 161 to 166 respectively are positioned over the codehole selecting cam discs 10--1 to 196. The levers are pivotally mounted on a common shaft 17 which is fixedly secured to the frame of the apparatus. The feed perforation lever 15 is shorter than the other camdiscs and is provided with a spring '18 at the front end and a projection 19 formed on the under side thereof, so that the projection 19 under the resiliency of the spring 18 is normally in contact with the periphery of the feed perforation cam disc 9, and drops into the notch 12 as the cam 9 is rotated. The other end of the lever 15 extends under the tape station 8. The upper side of said other end of the lever 15 is engaged with the lower end of a feed perforation punch 24). In the same manner, the code-hole selecting levers 16-4 to 166 are, respectively, located over the code-hole selecting cams 1il-1 to 106 and extend beyond the feed perforation lever 15. A spring 21 is attached to each of the levers 16 at the front ends thereof and a projection 22 is formed on the underside of each 'lever 16, so that the projections 22 under the resiliency of the springs 21 are normally in contact with the periphery of the code-hole selecting cams 10 respectively and fall into the notches 11 as the cams 10 are rotated. On the on the circumference of the shaft.

.7 3 under side of the front ends of the levers 16 which extend beyond the feed perforation lever '15, notches 23 are formed so as to engage with the upper edge 25 of an armature 24. The other ends of the levers 16 are projected under the tape station 8. The upper sides of said other ends of the levers 16 are engaged with the lower 'ends of code-hole punches 261 to 26- 6 respectively.

The punches 20 and 26-1 to 26-6 are respectively depressed by springs 27 to a position normally lower than the under surface of tape in the tape station 8.

A feed lever 28 is provided for the feed cam disc 13. The feed lever 28 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 29 and a cam follower 30 on lever 28 is normally in contact with the cam surface of the feed cam disc 13. The other end of the feed lever 28 extends beyond shaft 29, and a feed rod 32 is pivotally mounted onto the end of lever 28 by pin 33. The upper end of the feed rod 32 is in engagement with cogs 35 of a feed roll 34 so that the feed roll 34 is permitted to rotate in one direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 4. The shaft of the feed roll 34 is provided with a number of tape feeding pins 36 spaced uniformly The pins 36 are engaged in the feed perforations 37 which are punched in the tape by the feed perforation punch 20, so that the tape 5 is advanced from the reel 6.

When the electromagnet M is not energized, the armature plate 24 is held in the upright position thereof by means of hinges 38 and a spring 39 as illustrated in FIG. 4, therefore, the upper edge of the armature plate 24 will offer no restriction to downward movement of the codehole selecting levers 161 to 166, however, when the electromagnet M is energized, the armature plate 24 is attracted by the electromagnet M against the tension of the spring 39, whereby the upper edge 25 of the armature plate 24 moves to a position whereat the upper edge 25' of the armature plate 24 is engaged in notches 23 provided in the ends of code-hole selecting levers '16, so that the downward movement of the levers 16 is restricted. Since the feed perforation lever 15 is shorter than codehole selecting levers 16 as set forth hereinbefore, it is not affected by energization of the electromagnet M, and accordingly, the downward movement thereof will not be restricted by the armature plate 24.

The operation of the embodiment according to the invention is such that, if a start signal is not transmitted 'while the synchronous motor 1 is rotating, the driving shaft 2 of the synchronous motor 1 will race freely. When a start signal is transmitted to the puncher, however, the electromagnet is excited in response to the start signal whereupon the armature plate 24 is attracted releasing the locking device of the rotary shaft 4 of the perforating mechanism, whereby revolutions of the synchronous motor 1 are transmitted to the rotary shaft 4 through the friction clutch 3. The friction clutch is actuated when the electromagnet is initially excited and remains actuated throughout the complete rotation of the shaft 4 regardless of the possible subsequent interruptions in the excitation of the electromagnet M. The same is true thereby enabling completerotation of the shaft 4 during the receipt of signals for each code unit corresponding to a single rotation of the shaft. The actuation of the friction clutch is conventional and is not illustrated for purposes of simplicity.

When the rotary shaft 4 is thus rotated, the feed perforation cam disc 9, code-hole cam discs 1 to 10-6,

'and feed cam 13 are respectively rotated. As the projection 19 of the feed perforation lever falls into the notch 12 in the feed perforation :cam disc 9 during one revolution of the cam disc 9 at a predetermined time, the feed perforation punch is pushed upward by the lever 15, against the resilient force of the spring 27 whereby a feed hole 37 is formed in the tape 5 at the center thereof.

Immediately before completion of one revolution of the feed cam 13, the cam follower 30 of the lever 28 engages the step 14 of the cam 13 so that the feed lever 28 is rotated about the shaft 29 whereby the feed rod is actuated to push up a cog 35 of the feed roll 34 to rotate the feed roll 34 by the distance of the pitch between adjacent cogs in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4. This causes one of the tape feeding pins 36 to engage with one of the feed perforations 37 to advance the tape 5 by a distance corresponding to a single pitch between cogs.

During said one revolution of the rotary shaft 4, the electromagnet M is excited upon receipt of a unit of code pulses, however, when pulses for excitation of the electromagnet M are not transmitted, projections =191 to 196 of code-hole selecting levers 161 to 166 respectively fall into notches 111 to 116 of code-hole selecting cam discs 10-1 to 10-6 with a uniform space of time, whereby the tape 5 is perforated. Thus, as the electro magnet M is excited by transmitted pulses responding to the codes, the armature plate 24 is attracted so that the downward movement of the code perforation levers 16 is restricted as set forth hereinbefore, therefore, when such a code signal is received, one of the code-hole selecting levers 16, for example, the lever 163 for the third column, which is in a position ready to drop into the notch 11-3 of the cam disc 103, will be unable to move downward since it is intercepted by the upper edge 25 of the armature plate 24, so that a hole corresponding to the lever 163 will not be punched in the tape 5. Consequently, a unit of code perforation missing a hole in the third column will be produced. Such a unit as indicated by symbol A in the tape 5 shown in FIG. 1, will be punched.

As described above, code-holes corresponding to a code signal transmitted and a feed hole are perforated in the tape in a fixed order, then the tape is advanced stepwise by one pitch after each revolution of the rotary shaft 4.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for punching perforations in a tape, corresponding to telegraphic code signals, said apparatus comprising: a shaft, adapted for being driven in rotation, a plurality of cam discs supported on said shaft for rotation therewith, each cam disc being provided with a notch, said discs being arranged on'said shaft with the notches thereof in varying angular positions relative to said shaft, a lever for each cam disc supported for pivotal movement about an axis spaced from said shaft, a projection on each lever peripherally contacting the associated disc and penetrating into the notch therein when the latter is positioned in registry with the projection to cause rocking of the lever, a punch supported on each lever and movable therewith upon rocking of said lever, the punches being initially supported beneath a tape passage zone, said punches being effective to perforate the tape upon correspondin rocking movement of the associated lever, one of said levers being adapted for punching feed perforations while the remainmg levers are adapted for punching code perforations, electromagnetic means excitable in response to said telegraphic code signals, means responsive to said electromagnetic means for selectively engaging only the levers adapted for punching code perforations to prevent penetration of the projections into the notches of the cam discs and thereby prevent formation of perforations in the tape, and means associated with said feed perforations in the tape to advance the latter stepwise upon completion of each rotation of said shaft.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for selectively engaging the levers includes a flat armature member, each lever bein provided with a notch, said armature being selectively positioned in said notches of the levers to prevent rocking of the same when the electromagnetic means is excited and in accordance with the received code signals.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said notches in said levers are aligned, said lever which is adapted for punching said feed perforations being shorter the pivotal axis which is less than the distance of the notches to the pivotal axis.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for advancing the tape stepwise includes a feed roll including cogs, a feed cam disc on said shaft and including a step, a pivotally supported feed lever including a cam follower peripherally contacting the feed cam disc, and a feed rod on said feed lever and in contact with one of the cogs on said feed roll to rotate said roll upon pivotal movement of said feed lever, the latter being effected when said cam follower re isters with said step in the cam disc.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, comprising a shaft supporting said :feed roll, tape feeding pins on the latter shaft, said pins being in line with the tape feed perforations for being accommodated therein and for advancing 15 2,648,385

the tape upon rotation of the shaft supporting the feed roll.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a synchronous motor, and friction clutch means operatively associated with said electromagnetic means for connecting said motor to said shaft in driving relation upon excitation of the electromagnetic means.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising spring means coupled to said levers to urge the projections there- 10 on peripherally into contact with the associated cam discs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Zenner Dec. 6, 1949 De Boo Aug. 11, 1953 

1. APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING PERFORATIONS IN A TAPE, CORRESPONDING TO TELEGRAPHIC CODE SIGNALS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING; A SHAFT, ADAPTED FOR BEING DRIVEN IN ROTATION A PLURALITY OF CAM DISCS SUPPORTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, EACH CAM DISC BEING PROVIDED WITH A NOTCH, SAID DISCS BEING ARRANGED ON SAID SHAFT WITH THE NOTCHES THEREOF IN VARYING ANGULAR POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT, A LEVER FOR EACH CAM DISC SUPPORTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS SPACED FROM SAID SHAFT, A PROJECTION ON EACH LEVER PERIPHERALLY CONTACTING THE ASSOCIATED DISC AND PENETRATING INTO THE NOTCH THEREIN WHEN THE LATTER IS POSITIONED IN REGISTRY WITH THE PROJECTION TO CAUSE ROCKING OF THE LEVER A PUNCH SUPPORTED ON EACH LEVER AND MOVABLE THEREWITH UPON ROCKING OF SAID LEVER, THE PUNCHES BEING INITIALLY SUPPORTED BENEATH A TAPE PASSAGE ZONE, SAID PUNCHES BEING EFFECTIVE TO PERFORATE THE TAPE UPON CORRESPONDING ROCKING MOVEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATED LEVER, ONE OF SAID LEVERS BEING ADAPTED FOR PUNCHING FEED PERFORATIONS WHILE THE REMAINING LEVERS ARE ADAPTED FOR PUNCHING CODE PERFORATIONS ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS EXCITABLE IN RESPONSE TO SAID TELEGRAPHIC CODE SIGNALS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING ONLY THE LEVERS ADAPTED FOR PUNCHING CODE PERFORATIONS TO PREVENT PENETRATION OF THE PROJECTIONS INTO THE NOTCHES OF THE CAM DISCS AND THEREBY PREVENT FORMATION OF PERFORATIONS IN THE TAPE, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FEED PERFORATIONS IN THE TAPE TO ADVANCE THE LATTER STEPWISE UPON COMPLETION OF EACH ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT. 